Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Our thoughts are with all the Stunt Dads who are dealing with flooding, power outages and most important...closed schools. We would also like to share that a power outage is a great time to teach kids what life was like before 500 cable channels, Wii, X Box, iPhones and iPads. When we were kids (us Stunt Dads) we played with cardboard boxes instead of X Boxes. And when we were bored of that we played board games. We played hide and seek in the dark. We played cops and robbers with our hands and feet instead of a joystick, tag was a game and not a way to categorize a Facebook pic. we made games up, changed the rules of dodgeball so it could be played with a potatoe and enjoyed whatever our imaginations could create. All we really needed was our undivided attention to the goal of having a good time. Remember? Remember when a paper towel roll became a sword and a toilet paper roll was a telescope? Do you even remember anymore how to turn a marker into a gun by holding it over your closed fist with your thumb? Think your kid knows that one?

If you are one of the unfortunate people without power, we hope that your home is quickly restored back to normal, but also that you Stunt Dad (yes its a verb too) the moment by making the most of it and playing with your kids the way you played with your best friend a few decades ago; with imagination. Hell it sounds so good I may just flip the breaker when I get home tonight and play along.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Lots of talk about the trials and tribulations for mothers trying to balance the demands of work and mommyhood. The Harvard Review sheds some light on the same challenge facing today's more engaged father... Er Stunt Dad as we call em.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

A few weeks ago a friend opened my eyes to the impact of negative language. He gave a few examples from his personal life that were compelling enough for me to give it a try both when interacting with my kids, but also at work. And just after a few weeks I can report back that the way you talk and the words you use instantly shape your existence. For that reason there are now 10 words that ate being banned from Stunt Dad vocabulary.

1. Can't
2. Don't
3. No
4. Hate
5. Wrong
6. Won't

These words are often a short cut to explaining the full truth and reason something could, should or can be. They lack insight and care. Words like can't, no and don't should be replaced with full explanations and the logic why a path or decision is ultimately detrimental. Wrong is a lazy way out of having to identify the right answer. And hate should never have been invented.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

We got Q-Ba-Maze 2.0 which is the next generation of marble mazes. You build a structure out of colored blocks that creates a variety of paths for marbles to tumble down. To add a challenge, you can try to build structures that resemble objects like animals. Here is my attempt at fish. And I am not sure who had more fun, the kid or the dad?